As a kid - (now 31), I always loved tennis. As my other three brothers had
left home and moved to different parts of the country, I had nobody to play
with. I just used to hit balls up against the back yard wall, I soon managed
to hit hard too. About 1987 time when Ivan played in his 2nd Wimbledon
final, I started to idolize him. Many people have asked me "why
Lendl"?,...... I just think it has something to do with trying to be your
childhood hero !?. I like the way he played, strong hitter, serious, and
didn`t make fun of things. I share the same tallness as Ivan, same build,
and the very same shoe size 10.5 !!.

As I am very serious about my fondness of him, I guess that made me go out
and try to get his tennis gear - with problems, its so hard to get, even
back then. The Adidas stuff was in very short supply back then in the UK,
and my parents couldn`t really afford much anyway back then. Even in 1990
when Mizuno started the new deal, there was only ONE !!, stockist of the
Lendl Mizuno line of goods, that was in the midlands. Luckily, my Aunt and
Uncle who still live there, became stop off`s everytime I came down to see
them to visit the store. I used to spend hours in the shop looking around
for anything that took my eye. I think I managed to pick up the eagle shirt
and shorts, and the 1992 shirt and shorts, as well as some "replicar"
wristbands and socks. It was such a hard line of goods to locate - it was
expensive too !!.

Since finding E-bay back in 2001, its been like a dream come true for me !.
I have been so very lucky over the years, outbidding almost everyone on my
way to become "King Of Lendl" as you said in a previous e-mail !!. I have
came across people that have worked with him, and picked up most of his
personal items through those people.